U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made a surprise visit to Baghdad on Thursday to assess the campaign against Islamic State, as Iraq advances plans to retake the fallen capital of Sunni-dominated Anbar province.

Despite having successfully raised offshore funds to develop some of the best-selling real estate projects in Vietnam, Indochina Land CEO Peter Ryder’s announcement that he will team up with local partners for new ventures came as something of a surprise to industry insiders.